Pneumatic thread control system for looms



NOV. m5, 145. R TURNER PNEUMATIC THREAD CONTROL SYSTEM FOR LOOMS Filed March 11, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet l dauzw a -4. w w

Nov. 27,, 1945. 2,390,014

R. G. TURNER PNEUMATIC THREAD CONTROL SYSTEM FOR LOOMS Filed March 11, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 27, 1945. R. G. TURNER 2,390,014

PNEUMATIC THREAD CONTROL SYSTEM FOR LOOMS Filed Marchll, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 III IIIIIIII HIIII 122092202: R1 chard G. Tzmnen by w- M g/Zifiorhfil Patented Nov. 27, 1945 PNEUMATIG THREAD CONTROL SYSTEM FOR LOOMS Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 11, 1944, Serial No. 526,033

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a pneumatic thread control system for weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invention to make such systems more effective to facilitate removal of weft ends of the outgoing and incoming bobbins.

In weft replenishing looms it is necessary to control two threads at the time of a replenishing operation, one being connected to the depleted bobbin as the latter is ejected from the shuttle, and the other being connected to the incoming bobbin which is transferred from the magazine into the shuttle. The thread of the incoming bobbin generally extends from the thread holder to the selvage of the cloth for several picks until it can be cut by the temple cutter, at which time it is pneumatically drawn into a thread accumulator. In order to hold this thread in a non-interfering position with respect to the lay and. parts thereon I provide a placer on the lay which moves the thread onto'a hook mounted on some stationary part of the loom in front of the lay, where the thread is held until it is out. It is an important object of my present invention to construct a pneumatic thread holder with a thread receiving tube which holds the thread taut so that it can be engaged by the placer and moved thereby to the hook'which is on or not ,far from the axis of the tube. By this arrangement the thread extends into the tube without touching the periphery of the intake mouth, and upon being cut the thread is drawn from the hook into the throat of the thread holder. A feature of this part of the invention is so to construct the hook and placer that the latter will be out of interfering positionwhen the thread is out while the lay is on front center.

At the time of transfer the depleted bobbin is driven downwardly out of the shuttle box into a bobbin can which is in front of the lay, and as previously stated it is desirable to remove the thread from this bobbin. It is a further object of my present invention to support the bobbin can on the thread accumulator and provide the latter with a door or the like which can be opened for the removal of excess weft ends while the bobbin can is in position on the accumulator. The loom attendant can therefore remove the accumulated mass of weft during a replenishing operation without danger of being struck by the outgoing bobbin.

Due to breakage of one or another of the threads of the loom, or for other reasons, the loom occasionally stops, and if the bobbin attendant should be placing new bobbins in the maga- Zine during the period of idleness in the loom it is desirable that the pneumatic thread holder be operated so that it can attract the weft ends of the new bobbin. It is another object of my present invention to provide an air pump driven by the loom motor and effective to create sub-atmospheric pressures during temporary periods of idleness of the loom. This result may be accomplished by driving the air pump directly from the motor independently of the shipper mechanism which connects the motor to the loom so that continued running of the motor after the loom is unshipped will maintain sub-atmospheric pressures at the thread holder.

If for any reason the throat of the thread holder should become clogged with threads it is desirable that they be removed. It is another object of my invention to hold the aforesaid tube to its support near the throat by a friction fit or other readily disconnectable means so that the tube can be shipped toward the magazine to permit clearing of the throat without'removal of the threads from the pneumatic attraction at the throat. This operation can be performed while the loom is in operation because the tube can be removed Without interfering with the lay.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention'resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a loom having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of certain parts shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33, Fig. 1 showing the interior of the thread accumulator and its connections to the thread holder and thread remover,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section On line 4-4, Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 1 showing the driving connection for the air pump,

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the head of the thread holder,

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic plan view looking in the direction of arrow 1, Fig. 1, and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. '7.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a loom frame l0 having a lay ll swinging about an axis I2 and reciprocated backwardly and forwardly by rods l3 connected to crank M of the top shaft 15 of the loom. The lay is provided with a shuttle box I6 for the shuttle S supported by a lay beam I! through which a depleted shuttle descends at the time of a replenishing operation to be directed by a chute I8 on the lay into a bobbin can I9.

The loom is provided with a magazine M which is preferably though not necessarily of the rocking type and has front and back bobbin guides 20 and 2| from which weft ends W and W, respectively, extend to a thread holder H to be described. The magazine may be caused to rock about its pivot 22 by means of control mechanism designated generally at 23 so that the lowest bobbin in either of the guides 20 or 2I may be moved to transfer position. A transferrer arm 25 is pivoted at 26 to the stand or support 21 of the magazine and operates in usual manner to move a bobbin under it in the magazine into the shuttle S when a replenishing operation occurs. The matter thus far described operates substantially as shown in my prior Patents Nos. 2,199,354 and 2,222,994. At the time of transfer the depleted bobbin leaves a thread A, see Fig. 7, which is removed by a pneumatic thread remover R, and the incoming bobbin leaves a thread B extending from the thread holder H to the selvage of the fabric F, all to be described in detail hereinafter.

The driving mechanism for the loom comprises an electric motor 35 having a pinion 36 meshing with a driving gear 31 slidable along the top shaft I into engagement with a clutch member 33 secured to shaft I5. Any appropriate shipper mechanism indicated at 39, may be employed to move the gear against the clutch member when the loom is to be operated and separate these two parts when the loom is to be stopped. So far as certain features of my invention are con cerned I do not wish to be limited to the specific means set forth herein for driving the loom. It is sufficient if the motor continues to run after the loom has been temporarily stopped, as by a warp or weft stop motion.

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide the motor shaft 45 with a pulley 45 which by means of a belt 41 drives a pulley 48 secured to shaft 49 of a fan or other form of air pump 50. The latter may be supported in fixed position on a bracket 5I and is so designed as to create subatmospheric pressures at the intake 52 thereof. The fan or pump operates whenever the motor 35 is running regardless of the relation of the gear 31 and the driving member 38.

Connected pneumatically to and extending forwardly from the fan 50 is a pipe 55 connected by means of a fitting 56 to the rear wall 51 of the thread accumulator designated generally at D. Wall 51 has a hole 58 registered with the fitting so that the interior of the accumulator is pneumatically connected to the fan through pipe 55. The accumulator is preferably made in the form of a box having a front wall 59 and right and left side walls 60 and GI, respectively, and a bottom 62. The box is provided with a cover 65 which may be attached as at 66 to the top of the box to form a tight air seal. Secured to the top of the cover is a block 61, preferably formed of wood, on which the bottom 68 of the bobbin can I9 rests. The walls of the bobbin can extend downwardly as at 'IIJ below the bottom 68 to cooperate with the block 61 for the purpose of positioning the bobbin can on the accumulator D.

The front wall of the accumulator is provided with an opening I5 which is normally closed by a door or the like 16 hinged as at H to the accumulator. The door is held closed tightly by the difference of barometric pressure inside and outside the accumulator. The door may be made of any suitable transparent material which will permit visual observation of the threads within the accumulator.

Locatedwithinthe accumulator between its front and rear walls is a partition having an opening BI across which extends a screen 82 to prevent threads from passing from the forward compartment 83 to the rear compartment 84 of the accumulator. This partition sets between beads 85 formed on the bottom and side walls of the accumulator. Other beads 86 depending from the cover 55 receive the top of the partition. By reason of the beads the partition serves as a substantially tight air seal between "the front and back compartments except for the air passage 8I. Rods 88 extend forwardly from partition 80 toward the door 16 and serve to hold the mass of yarn Y in compartment 83.

The bottom 62 of the accumulator is provided with an opening 90 connecting compartment 83 with the interior of a fitting 9| secured to bottom 62. A hose or other flexible pipe 92 connects fitting 9| to the thread remover R shown in Fig. '7. The right or outer wall BI is perforated as at 95 to connect compartment 83 with the interior of a fitting 96 secured to said-wall. Fitting 96 has a foot 91, see Fig. 1, connected as at 98 for angular adjustment on wall 6|. Secured in the fitting 96 is an upwardly extending pipe I00, the upper end of which as shown in Fig. 6 has secured there to a head or elbow IOI by means of a set screw I02. A tube I03 fits into the head IOI and is preferably though not necessarily held frictionally in the head with sufficient tightness to remain in position during loom operation but loose enough to permit removal or inspection of the threads in the head IOI. The latter has a chamber I04 which in effect is a throat through which the weft ends W and W pass.

The shuttle box I6 is provided with a forwardly extending thread placer I I0 having an upper forwardly extending finger I I I below which extends a forwardly and downwardly inclined thread engaging edge II2 which forms a thread notch. I I3 with the finger. A rearwardly extending stationary hook H5 is secured in any convenient manner to the loom frame and is located preferably between the placer and fabric F when the lay is.

on front center. The hook has an upwardly extending hook head III; and has a forwardly and upwardly inclined rear surface or edge I II. The hook has a thread notch H8 in front of the head H6 and above the path traversed by the placer H0. The reason for this relationship is to prevent the thread placer from striking any thread which may extend from the hook II5 to the thread holder tube I03.

In operation, the fan 50 acts whenever the motor 35 is running to create sub-atmospheric pressures within the accumulator D and therefore cause columns of air to move into the thread remover R and the thread holder tube I03. The weft ends W and W from the magazine extend downwardly and enter the upper part of the tube I03 and then extend diagonally across the tube and into the throat I04, from whence they extend down pipe I00. When a replenishing operation occurs the lowest bobbin in one or the other of the stacks 20 or 2I will be moved intothe shuttle S. by the transferrer arm 25 and the associatedvthread will move toposition B-below the daemons 3 is pi ckedito the opposite: side ofthe loom the pneumatic attraction inducediby the draft ofair;

movingdnto the t'ube l03 holdS the thread. Dur-= ing backward movement of the lay the thread placermoves behind'thread B and as the lay returns forwardlyedge- H2 moves the thread up into notch l l3. The continuous draft of air moving into thetube I03 holds thread B taut and as' thelay-beats up to front center position withthe thread under finger H l in notch l l3lthe placer: H moves the thread up the inclined" rear edge H l ofthe hook. During this operation the part:

of the':thread touching the hook is deflected upwardly overthe hook to a-position infront of the h'ookhea'd. I I63 The notch l l8 in the hook is slightly. above a line drawn from the fell of the cloth-tothe tube l03 ,see Fig, 8, and itis for thisreason that the thread-B willbe held in the notch. The notch is-also in-front of a straight: line" from the fell to the tube 1 I03 as indicated in- Fig.7; The thread B remains in this position until it iscut several' picks later by: the temple cutterT, at 'whichtime the thread is drawn into thetube I03 bypneumatic attraction.

It is an important feature of my invention toface or pointlthe tube l03' ina direction generally towardlthe hook- H so that the threadB will.

enter-the tube at a point slightly above the bottom thereof and iout of contact with any part of theintake-mouth. By thisarrangement the inrushing column of air is able to surround: the thread and draw it quickly into the tube I03 fromwhence it passes downwardlythrough the pipe lflu into the thread'accumulator D.

The thread of the outgoing bobbin is handled muchi'n the same'manner as that set forth in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,199,354, the thread A when cut at the temple passing into the thread remover R and along the tube 92 into the compartment 83 of the accumulator.

As will be obvious in Fig. 3 the threads from the thread holder and the thread remover enter compartment 83 at points spaced from the screen 82 and I find in practice that these threads accumulate in a mass which tends to fall to the bottom of the compartment 83 away from the air duct Bl in the partition 80. The screen 82 therefore does not become clogged and the apparatus can operate for a considerable length of time Without requiring cleaning of the accumulator. When it is necessary to remove the threads from the compartment 83 the door 16 is lifted and the mass of threads taken out, after which the door will be drawn to closed position by the sub-atmospheric pressures existing within the accumulator D.

As previously mentioned the bobbin attendant may be required to place bobbins in the magazine during a period of temporary idleness of the loom. When placing bobbins in the magazine a sufficient length of weft end is drawn from each bobbin and presented to the intake mouth of the tube I03. If the sub-atmospheric pressures within the system should cease when the loom stops it would be difficult to get the weft ends of the new bobbins in the tube I03, but by having the fan 50 driven by the motor 35 assurance is given that the weft ends of the new bobbins will be attracted and drawn into the tube "33 even though the loom is temporarily at rest.

After continued use a group of threads may accumulate in the head IUI due to the fact that the threads of the transferred bobbins may become entangled with the weft ends W and W. It is for the correction of this condition that I preferably'make theitube 103. of such size that it can be slippedtout'of the head Hl'l asufficient' distance to permitthe weaver to dislodge any threads which may be matted together and clog the throat HM". This tube can. be removed to the dotted-line position of Fig. 6 While the weft ends W andW are extending into the head and the operation for clearing the latter can therefore be eifectedtwithout stopping the loom ortaking the. weft ends of' the reserve bobbins out of the head. As soon as the tube M3 is reinserted.

into the head normal conditions will be imme diately established; Obviously, these operations can be performed while the loom is stopped, since the fan will still be running.

From the foregoing itwill be seen that I. have provideda pneumatic thread control system for I03 is pointed generally in the direction or". hook:

H5 so that the threadin position B; held taut by pneumatic tension, can move in a straight.

line into the intake mouth of the tube W3 Without engaging any'part of the mouth of the tube intowhich the weft ends extend. It will also be noted that the thread accumulator serves as a,

support for the bobbin can and that the latter remains in position when the door 16 is open to remove threads which have accumulated in compartment 83. The can I!) thus protects the operator in the event of a transfer While the mass of weft is being removed'from the accumulator. Furthermore, the tube I03can he slipped out of the head ill! to permit correction of unfavorable thread conditions Within the head without removing the weft ends W or W. Also, the thread placer moves in a pathbelow the thread extending from hook H5 to the thread holder'I-I.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but What I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine with reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, the loom having shipper mechanism, a driving motor capable of being connected to and disconnected from the loom by the shipper mechanism, a pneumatic thread holder operative to hold the weft ends when subatmospheric pneumatic pressure exists within the thread holder, mechanism operated by the motor whenever the latter is running and operating whether the loom be connected to or disconnected from the motor by the shipper mechanism to produce subatmospheric pneumatic pressures, and means pneumatically connecting said mechanism to said thread holder.

2. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine with reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, the loom having shipper mechanism, a driving motor capable of being connected to and disconnected from the loom by the shipper mechanism, a pneumatic thread holder operative to hold the weft ends when subatmospheric pneumatic pressure exists within the thread holder, pneumatic mechanism operated by the motor whenever the latter is running and operating to create subatmospheric pressures Whether or not the loom has driving connection with the motor, and means pneumatically connecting the pneumatic mechanism to the thread holder, whereby the thread holder i capable of attracting weft ends of bobbins placed in the magazine during loom stoppage provided the motor is running.

3. In a weft replenishing loom, a driving motor therefor, the loom being capable of having running and non-running periods during continued running of the driving motor, the loom having a hollow thread holder capable of drawing thereinto weft ends of bobbins in a magazine whenever subatmospheric pressures exist within the holder, pneumatic mechanism operated by the motor when the latter is running to create subatmospheric pressures during either running or non-running periods of the loom, and means pneumatically connecting the pneumatic mechanism to the thread holder and enabling the latter to draw weft ends thereinto during.

periods of non-running of the loom provided the motor is running.

4. In a weft replenishing loom having a driven shaft, a driving motor, clutch mechanism movable to one position to connect the motor to the shaft and movable to another position to disconnect the motor from the shaft, a pneumatic thread holder having an intake mouth, and a magazine to hold reserve bobbins the weft ends of which are attracted into the intake mouth of the thread holder when subatmospheric pressure exists Within the holder, a pulley turning with the motor whenever the latter is running independently of the position of the clutch mechanism, pneumatic means operatively connected to the pulley and effective during running of the motor to create subatmospheric pressures, and pneumatic connections between the pneumatic means and the thread holder.

5. In a weft replenishing loom having a shipper handle and a driven shaft, a driving motor, clutch mechanism controlled by the shipper handle to cause the shaft to be driven by the motor when the handl is in one position and cause the clutch to disconnect the motor from the shaft when the handle is in another position, a pneumatic thread holder having an intake mouth, the loom having a magazine from which weft ends extend to the intake mouth of the pneumatic thread holder, pneumatic means to create subatmospheric pressures, driving connections between the motor and said pneumatic means ffective whenever the motor is running to cause the pneumatic means to create subatmospheric pressures, and pneumatic connections between said pneumatic means and the thread holder.

6. In a weft replenishing loom operating with a. driving motor and a clutch mechanism under control of a shipper mechanism to connect the motor to the loom when the shipper mechanism is in one position and disconnect the motor from the loom when the shipper mechanism is in another position, the loom having a magazine from which weft ends extend, a thread holder having an intake mouth into which the weft ends are drawn when subatmospheric pressures exist within the holder, a pulley turning with the motor, means to create subatmospheric pressures, a pulley on said means, a belt connecting said pulleys and causing the means to creat subatmospheric pressures whenever the motor is running independently of the position of the shipper mechanism, and pneumatic connections between said means and the thread holder.

RICHARD G. TURNER. 

